Went to a test drive a 2011 reg, 41112 miles yeti today an SE PLUS (Manual Petrol) with upgrades, at small family garage.   Usual spec but with Electric heated leathers seats and the spare wheel pack.

I can get it for £6,200 with my elegance estate 95,000 miles thrown in.  They'll put on a new timing chain if i pay for the part i.e. £150 +vat.  Also a 6 months RAC warranty.

The thing is i noticed a  grubby skoda badge on the boot a small dent on the rear wheel arch and a couple of small rust spots i.e. one of which is on the bottom corner of a door and  one on the roof.  It was advertised with full service history but when i asked they can only find 2 recents.  Cant deny it drove well.

Is it worth it and am i nit picking for that price??.  I would appreciate an opinion i don't know what to do.

Edited 11 April, 20197 yr by gb10

Someone else asked a similar question here...

 

 

Ye me!  Just looking for advice.

Edited 12 April, 20197 yr by gb10

7 hours ago, gb10 said:

Ye me!  Just looking for advice.

I posted my thoughts on the original thread. Don’t know if anyone else has any other ideas but ‘you pays your money and takes your choice’.  Basically it comes down to how you feel about the car and do you trust the people you are dealing with. If you trust them and they change the timing chain and service the car then why not? Buying any 8 year old car comes with risks but you seem to have minimised them by removing the timing chain worry.

My thoughts are:

1) You are unlikely to ever find an absolutely mint 8yo car.  At that age most will have some minor issues with rust spots or small dents from flying stones.  Small rust spots can be touched up with a touch up kit from skoda in the right shade for under £20 so that's not a major issue on an 8yo car.  The grubby badge can probably be replaced with a brand new one off fleabay for a couple of quid also. The important things are the mechanicals, that's where the big money problems occur.  Which brings us to

2) If advertised as FSH and it doesn't have any you can either walk away, or:

a) See if Skoda have any online service history for the vehicle, or ask the selling dealer to do so.  If it's had any work done at a skoda dealer the service book might not be stamped if it wasn't taken in when the work was done, but would be logged on the service computer system.  I'd guess that at least the first 3 yrs would be there plus any mandatory safety recalls.

b) Go to the DVLA website and see it's MOT history.  It's 8yo so will have a few entries which will list all the passes, fails, and advisories from when it was tested.  If it looks like an uncared for bag of nails that has had failed regularly with a fault list the length of your arm and then had the absolute minimum done to scrape a pass, you have a decision to make...

c) Get an independent inspection by AA or RAC.  Compared to the cost (and the nuisance factor of not having the use of the car for a few days whilst its fixed) it's pretty reasonable.  If the dealer has nothing to hide they'd be unlikely to object.  A 6 month warranty is good, but at that point the dealer has your money, and getting it fixed under warranty then becomes your problem.  Getting it identified by AA/RAC before you buy makes it his problem (or he loses the sale!) 

Dead right. I'm a bit OCD as regards looking after my cars and I can't keep them absolutely mint.

 

My almost 4 years old/30k. Yeti has a few stone chips out of the paintwork and windscreen. Someone put a nice ding in the drivers door which I had repaired and when washing it recently found a ding in the passenger door and bad scratches on the side of the rear bumper despite me always trying to park out of harms way. It's annoying as it's usually other folks that damage your car.  Fortunately I managed to polish out the worst of the scratches.

 

So as said you've got to expect some cosmetic damage. If they state it has FSH then they should be able to prove it. If they are lying about that what else might they be lying about?

Honestly you will be lucky to get a full authenticated Service History on an 8 year old car, first 3 years will likely be Franchised service to safeguard Warranty but after that many people have their cars serviced by independent garages who do a perfectly proper service but it does not get recorded on the Skoda database simply because they are independents, and who keeps all the paperwork for 8 years? The service requirements of modern cars are fairly basic and as long as it has had regular oil and filter changes then not much else to worry about. Also as you are getting a new timing chain, tensioner etc. then the major susceptible  item to infrequent oil changes is being replaced anyway!

At 8 years old it is more a question of how it drives and how it feels and how do you feel about the garage? They seem to have been fair about the timing chain kit change and you will have the 6 months warranty - and, I assume, an up to date MOT test certificate. You can really drive yourself mad about buying a used car and go to endless expense checking it, and having it checked but you really have to trust your instincts and make the decision - no one can help you with that but yourself. If you walk away will you go through all this again when you find the next 8 year old Yeti, and will the garage be prepared to fit a new timing chain kit and offer a 6 months warranty etc?

 

Let us all know what you decide.

Edited 13 April, 20197 yr by Expatman

Cheers folks lots of great advice and a lot to mull over.  I’m going to give myself the weekend then decide.  I suppose the wee bits of rust and the ding on the wheel arch bother me but as stated it’s 8yrs old.  I still think it might be a bit expensive but there are pros ie low mileage timing chain and warranty (probably not worth the paper it’s written on) and the upgrades like the leather seats and spare wheel.  So I’m really tempted.

I’ll keep you all posted.

Both my Roomster and my Yeti received car park dings within a few weeks of me driving them away from the showroom.  I was livid but sadly, c'est la vie here in Brum.  But car park dings do not affect the running or reliability of the car, which I would suggest are of greater importance.  Good luck with whatever you decide 

You can always get the dings etc dealt with by Chips Away, or similar, then you will have an excellent unmarked cat with a new timing chain kit, what's not to Iike?

Expatman what your thoughts on the deal ie my initial post?.

41 minutes ago, gb10 said:

Expatman what your thoughts on the deal ie my initial post?.

Looks okay to me from the information you provided. Main thing is you have looked at this from every angle but in the end it really is down to you! Main thing is that garage will replace timing chain and tensioners etc, that was the weakness of the engine - not due to the engine but due to poor chains from chain suppliers. Really the other items are minor - badge (happens to them all), rust spots and minor dent ( easily fixed if you want to by one of the Chipsaway companies). You are getting heated leather seats - I love them in my Yeti.  At 8 years old price is more a function of condition than age, 41,000 miles is a bit low for an 8 year old car but not disastrously so. If you do buy it remember to have the oil and filter changed every 10,000 miles or 12 months. Still unsure????? Ask yourself why - then firm up on a decision.

gb10 - did you decide to buy the Yeti or not?

Hi

sorry for not replying sooner.  TBH I'm still dithering and I'm in the 'probably not' camp at the moment.  My gut instinct is not good i.e. the lack of any service history when told there was a FSH, why would they say that, the rust points and the thought of there could be more.  The garage which is small town family one of which didn't  inspire me with confidence with her attitude saying cash was preferred ????  but would do bank transaction,  no sorry bank transaction only.   I can't deny it seems a good deal and i may well walk away from a 'good un' but i'm not sure. 

Of all the cars within my budget a Yeti is my prefer option.

Judging from some of the previous comments my 1,2 DSG is a bit unusual then - it's had had main dealer servicing from new, doesn't have timing chain problems (to the best of my knowledge) and doesn't have a single spot of visible rust.  It has no parking dings and is immaculate.  The DSG is fine having  had the mods and replacement clutch pack under warranty.

 

Do people just change the timing chain routinely?  The dealer hasn't ever mentioned it.

 

I'm not keen to get rid of it as it runs as well as it did when new - but would enquire what a 32,00 mile example is worth to a private buyer if anyone has accees to a decent valuation site.

 

Having looked to see what I would replace it with if it did go I keep coming back to a Kia Niro.  Lots to attract me to it, not least the warranty and better economy than I get now ... but the cost to change would be more than the cost of keeping the Yeti going for the foreseeable.

 

 

Edited 19 April, 20197 yr by oldstan

@oldstan

Your 2011 1.2 TSI as it left the factory with the timing chain and tensioners might be fine for years to come, just as has been serviced and there might be no issues just as thousands or tens of thousands are fine.  But there were and are issues, hence updated parts, a TPI and people having failures.  All just a lottery, as the Zinc Inclusion issue was, not all Yeti suffered that issue / fault.

14 hours ago, gb10 said:

Hi

sorry for not replying sooner.  TBH I'm still dithering and I'm in the 'probably not' camp at the moment.  My gut instinct is not good i.e. the lack of any service history when told there was a FSH, why would they say that, the rust points and the thought of there could be more.  The garage which is small town family one of which didn't  inspire me with confidence with her attitude saying cash was preferred ????  but would do bank transaction,  no sorry bank transaction only.   I can't deny it seems a good deal and i may well walk away from a 'good un' but i'm not sure. 

Of all the cars within my budget a Yeti is my prefer option.

In the final analysis you have to follow your gut, better to walk away and wonder than buy and regret! If you really want a Yeti then you just have to keep on looking, but at eight years old (or thereabouts for your preferred price) you are extremely unlikely, bordering on never, going to get an as new vehicle. Better decide what your parameters are - average mileage for 8 year old will be approx 96,000 miles, body/interior condition will be in line with mileage, service history unlikely to be complete, engine/ clutch/gearbox condition in line with mileage and driving style of previous owner(s). Much to consider but as long as you go into another deal with your mind open then I am sure you will find something. Good Luck.

Incidentally did you get an AA/RAC inspection? It would have either confirmed your suspicions and your decision to walk away or made you think more kindly on the deal.